Tanzania
UCDVO has worked in Tanzania since 2009 to support the quality of education for communities in Morogoro District with two Tanzanian organisations, TanzEd and Camara Education Tanzania. These projects were completed in 2019.
In 2023, UCDVO ran a successful pilot health programme with the Holy Union Sisters in Dar es Salaam, which was continued in 2024. UCDVO intends to develop a similar project with the Holy Union Sisters Matumaini Centre in 2025.
2025 Planned Projects
Partner: Holy Union Sisters, Mbagala, Dar es Salaam
The Holy Union is a congregation of Sisters from Tanzania, Kenya and Europe working in education and community development. The Sisters have been active in education in Mbagala district of Dar es Salaam for over 25 years, running pre and primary, high school and a back to education school for at-risk children. The congregation also responds to needs of the local community with the overall aim of poverty reduction and access to essential services.
The Sisters established the Matumaini Centre in 2014 in response to community requests for support for children with disabilities due to lack of services available. The Matumaini Centre is a centre for children with disabilities - offering rehabilitation, education, nutrition and livelihoods support. It is envisioned as a place where mothers and carers can come with their children and be given help, advice, respite and encouragement. The 2025 project will build on the success of the volunteer projects in 2023 and 2024 and further support capacity development of the Matumaini Centre.
Project: Matumaini Rehab Programme
Dates: 7 June - 5 July (4 weeks)
Project Overview: this project aims to support the team in the Matumaini Centre by running a three-week rehab camp for children with disabilities and their guardians. Activities will include carrying out assessments of children and developing rehabilitation plans with the Matumaini Centre staff.
Volunteers: This project is suitable for physiotherapy Stage 3 and MSc students who may participate as part of an elective placement. There may also be space for a number of general health science students, including BSc nutrition.
Project: COBET Summer School Pilot
Dates: 12 July - 9 Aug (4 weeks)
Project Overview: this project will take place in the Holy Union Sisters run COBET school in Mbagala, Dar es Salaam, which provides an accelerated three year primary school programme for children who were not able to access education due to family circumstances. Many of the students excel when given a second chance at education and proceed to the secondary school in Majamatitu.
Volunteers: This project is suitable for all students with an interest in education (especially non formal), children's development, sports, art and games. Non formal education activities will be planned and implemented with the Tanzanian teachers.
Past Partners
TanzEd and Camara Education Tanzania, Morogoro District
TanzEd is a non-governmental organisation working in rural communities of Morogoro District to improve the quality of education. TanzEd’s programmes engage with local primary and secondary schools across a range of projects, including school management, Libraries for All and Safe Children. Camara Education Tanzania is an international education organisation that aims to transform education through technology.
Together with TanzEd and Camara, UCDVO implemented an Information Technology & Computers (ICT) programme which aims to enhance the quality of education in Morogoro District (Morogoro and Ruaha), through access to computers and basic ICT training. Camara provides the technical expertise for the programme, installs the labs and follow up maintenance and on-going support. The UCDVO projects have also supported TanzEd’s other educational activities. UCDVO also provided strategic support to TanzEd through core funding to assist the organisation diversify funding streams and strengthen governance.
In 2020, TanzEd and UCDVO worked together to pilot a remote volunteering programme. 12 volunteers and three team coordinators took part, with technical and education support from a former team coordinator. The main objectives (creating a bank of IT training classes for teachers; delivering interactive ICT and cultural exchange sessions online; preparation of materials for TanzEd’s Safe Children Project, including child safeguarding) were largely achieved.
A monitoring visit in 2019 highlighted the quality and impact of TanzEd’s programmes, while pointing to the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the programme, which took place in 2021.
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